Canada & The USA
So I'm long back from my North American travels. In the last year I've been to Canada and the USA twice each, most of this though is based on my second trip. I hope these words and pictures interest you. If they don't - Back to the main page
Toronto (Dude, Where's My SARS?)
When I arrived the SARS thing was just kicking off and so was the War in Iraq.
It was cold as well, the winter had been the hardest for many years and the snow was just melting when I arrived. Trust me to choose a good time to travel.
A slight aside... For those of you that are big fans of the Scary House, my mate Dave has created this:
Deviation from main flow over. Done. Finished.
I kicked around in the Greater Toronto Area for a while before deciding to hit the (rail)road.
Train
Everything moves more slowly on the rails here, forget 125Mph, think 30-40Mph... Freight has no schedule, just runs whenever and mostly its single-track so trains have to wait at signals a lot. This is a great place to meet fellow travellers and chill, after all there's nowhere to go...
As the train snakes through the great Canadian wilderness one gets time to reflect on Life, the Universe and Everything. But on the 3 day, 3 hour trip to Vancouver at several points I couldn't help thinking, 'let me off already!'
It's a great way to appreciate this HUGE country - it takes more than 24 hours to get out of the Province of Ontario!
And the staff are expert at humouring everyone:
"This isn't a REAL delay, I remember the time we were caught in a snowstorm around New Year... 36 hours late... no food... every set of points iced up... avalanches... bathrooms smelling like sh__"
Makes you feel privileged. Virgin could learn a thing or two, anyway with views like this below who's complaining?
Vancouver
Isn't this the most beautiful place?
Interesting Graffiti too...
I went to the Museum of Anthropology and happened upon a First Nations celebration of a totem pole erection (not this one). The best smoked salmon I've ever tasted.
Brompton Bike
I was carrying too much stuff this trip, later in my journey I had to post some home...
This is a great city to explore by bike. Lots of great routes all mapped out by the city. Stanley Park in itself is amazing but I got as far as the Fraser river:
and the North Shore on my folding bike:
Vancouver has a lot of rain and after a while that starts getting you down, with another traveller from the UK I hatched a crazy plan (over beer) to go Snowboarding in the Rockies, but first we had to see Frank Black play at the Commodore Ballroom!
They were amazing and a few hours later we were on our way.
Bus
This was good and cheap. Being Canada the staff are relatively nice. I had a travelling companion so didn't have to sit next to a weirdo. I was exhausted from staying up all night with Frank that I slept most of the 14 hours. The scenery I saw while awake was mind-blowing!
Banff
This is a place built solely for the tourist trade, and it feels like it. When we got off the bus and found it was a good long way to the Hostel we were annoyed. After a couple of days you realise that this means you see trees rather than the back of someone else's Hotel first thing in the morning...
Lets get to the good part, Banff is set in the most amazing mountains. And there are three Ski resorts within easy striking distance. I learnt to Snowboard in three days, I'm so sorry I have no pictures of that to show you. I'm sure I looked a sight with my snowy beard and all...
I do have this most amazing ice lake to share though:
Next it was more buses to Calgary and then to Edmonton to catch the train back East. Somewhere in Manitoba I saw the eerie lights of the Aurora Borealis from the domecar of the train.
Montréal
This is a city I've heard so much about so was excited to see it. As things happened I passed through here three times and each time I came back I grew to like it more. Just a really alive place. Spent a lot of time making new friends and practising my French. Also a good place for cycling, although the drivers are a little bit mad in the city centre...
Québec City
I think I'll let the pictures do the talking:
They take their public art seriously, this mural was just one of many!
Ottawa
The very chilled out capital of Canada. I relaxed here at a very homely Hostel and saw some good art. Cycling by the canal was nice too.
New York
Most of my time was spent in Canada, the only bit of the US I saw was New York City and New York state on my way through.
I must say, even though I spent just 7 days in the Big Apple it was one of my favourite parts of my two-month trip. The people you meet along the way always shape things and I met such an interesting bunch. Even though sometimes things were scary on the street, no more so than Brixton. I visited all five boroughs including a day pounding the streets in the Bronx, obviously I saw 'ground zero' and the Statue of Liberty. I really liked New York, it was even good for cycling...
Biking Around (some of) Lake Ontario
On my way back from New York I decided to try and bike around the lake from Niagara to Toronto on the waterside trail. This would have been a good idea if the wind hadn't been so strong!
LWb, Summer 2003
